Introduction To Alexander Sims In just two seasons of single-seater racing - Alexander Sims has quickly forged a reputation as one of British motorsports leading young talents. With race wins and numerous podium finishes to his credit, the 20 year old underlined his current status finishing as runner-up in the Formula Renault UK 2008 Championship before winning the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver o f the Year Award. Alexander’s rise to prominence started like most Formula One aspirants in the competitive ranks of karting. Staring his journey behind the wheel in 1998, aged just 10, Sims wasted little time in showcasing his talents and the silverware started to wrack up as he picked up karting titles both at home and abroad. Sims graduated to single-seater racing at the end of 2006 with a debut appearance in the Formula Renault UK Winter Championship. Proving to be equally adept in cars as he was in karting, a full-season beckoned in 2007 with championship-winning outfit, Manor Motorsport. Alexander’s rookie year was merely a foretaste of what was to come as he scored his maiden victory in torrential conditions at Donington Park along with a further two podium appearances. He finished the season an impressive eighth overall and fourth in the ‘Graduate Cup’ for first-year drivers. A successful first season racing cars earned Alexander ‘Rising Star’ status from the British Racing Drivers Club – awarded only to young drivers to have displayed excellence in their chosen category of motorsport and believed to have incredible potential to achieve their goals in the upper echelons of motor racing.
Remaining with Manor Motorsport for 2008 paid dividends as their continuity would go on to see Alexander mount a serious, season-long title challenge. Such was the strength of their combined package, Sims would see out the year with the most points scored by any driver in the championship, the Peterborough racer only losing out on the title on the ‘two dropped scores’ count. Regardless, his two victories, at Snetterton and Silverstone, combined with 10 other podium appearances and a reputation as one of the fastest drivers in the field, earned Sims the runner-up spot, much praise and a position as one of six finalists to go head-to-head for the coveted McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. He duly beat his five rivals to the title, and a McLaren Formula One test, having shone in both the on and off track tests arranged for the finalists. Not one to dwell on past glories however, Alexander’s focus has now switched firmly to his 2009 season and his first full-time campaign on the continent competing in the ultra-competitive Formula 3 Euro Series. Set to race for Mücke Motorsport, Sims is all too aware of the pedigree of talent he’ll be up against but in a series that has produced the likes of F1 stars, Lewis Hamilton, Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg, he knows that success at this level will only serve to further his own burgeoning reputation.
“In my 26 years of competition I have seen many talented drivers come and go. Driving quickly is simply not enough to succeed at the highest level in motorsport and you need the combination of talent, commitment and the ability to communicate with the team through their designers, engineers and mechanics. Out of the car the work continues with the same communication skills being tested when it comes to interacting with the media, sponsors and of course the fans. Alexander Sims displays all of the above and more so I have no doubt we will see him achieve his goal of Formula One in the near future.� David Coulthard Ex-McLaren Mercedes & Red Bull Formula One Racing Driver / 13-time Grand Prix Race Winner
“Alexander showed great maturity and technical understanding in his approach to winning the Mclaren Autosport BRDC award. He was methodical, confident and comfortably found the limit in everything he drove. He seemed keen to improve and came across as a hard worker, coupled with obvious natural speed. Alexander certainly has the ability to go very far and I look forward to following his progress as a professional racing driver in the future.� Anthony Davidson Ex Formula One Driver
Race Calendar
27/06/2010 - 28/06/2010
Norisring with DTM
18/07/2010 - 19/07/2010
Zandvoort with DTM
25/07/2010 - 26/07/2010
Hungaroring - IFM
01/08/2010 - 02/08/2010
Oschersleben with DTM
15/08/2010 - 16/08/2010
N端rburgring
29/08/2010 - 30/08/2010
Francorchamps - IFM
05/09/2010 - 06/09/2010
Brands Hatch with DTM
11/09/2010 - 13/09/2010
Silverstone - Radical
19/09/2010 - 20/09/2010
Barcelone with DTM
10/10/2010 - 11/10/2010
Djon with DTM
24/10/2009 - 25/10/2009
Hockenheim with DTM
Statistics As winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of The Year Award in 2008, Alexander Sims is on the fast track to the world of Formula 1. With the interest of numerous Formula 1 teams, along with Alexander’s superb results, he is currently the most promising driver below Formula 1.
Profile: Born: 15/03/1988 Birth Place: London, UK Residence: Wansford, UK Hobbies: Fitness training and sports Marital status: Single
Alexander competed in Karting for 8 years, winning numerous National and British Titles, The Monaco Kart Grand Prix, The Parma Industrials Championship and 3 British Gran Prix. Finishing his karting career with Pole at the World championships in 2006, Alexander then adjusted to Cars extremely quickly, finishing 2nd in his first ever race. In 2008 Alexander finished the season 2nd in the championship with 2 wins and 12 podiums to his name. He then went on to win the highly prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of The Year Award and receive his prize of a test in the McLaren Formula 1 car. In 2009 Alexander moved into the hugely competitive F3 Euro Series. Competing with Mücke motorsport, Alexander scored his maiden pole in round 3 along with his first Podium. Wining once and scoring 4 further podiums, Alexander finished the season in … place in the Championship.
2008 • McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year - WINNER • Macau FBMW – Fastest lap • UK Formula Renault - Highest Points scorer and - 2nd overall • 12 Podiums, with fastest laps and poles. • “MSA Elite Driver” program
2007 • UK Formula Renault - 8th overall
2006 • Formula Renault UK Winter Championship - 2nd and 5th • “Race of Americas CIK”, (Karts) Oklahoma, USA - 1st
2004 • Italian “Kart Industrials” Parma, Italy Formula A - 1st • Kartmasters “Grand Prix” Super Libre (Seniors) - 2nd • Italian Championship Open Masters - 6th
2003 • Kartmasters “Grand Prix” Super Libre (Seniors) Champion - 1st
2002 • CIK/FIA 8th Monaco Kart Cup, Monte Carlo - 1st • MSA H/House Hammond Super1 British Junior Kart Championships - 1st • Kartmasters BARC / MSA Grand Prix - 1st • BRDC Champions of the Future Championship - 1st • CIK/FIA European Junior Championships - 6th
2001 • MSA Hill House Hammond British Junior Kart Championships - 4th • Champions of the Future Championship - 3rd • Oceania Championships, Australia - 2nd • European Championships - 12th
2000 • Super 1 National Cadet Championship - 1st • British Cadet Championships - 2nd • Kart masters Champion - 1st • 5 Nations Champion - 1st • English Team Internationals Championships - 1st
Alexander Sims Presented with TW Steel Watch with McLaren Autosport BRDC Award Success The most anticipated award at the 2008 Autosport Awards, on the evening was the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year. After the six finalists did an evaluation test at Snetterton last month, Alexander Sims triumphed over his rivals, and won the award. Alexander is having an excellent season having previously claimed runner-up honours in the Formula Renault UK Championship with a pair of victories and 12 podium finishes. As winner of the Award, Alexander was presented with his own unique TW Steel watch along with a cheque for £50,000 and a McLaren F1 test drive, the British racer following in the footsteps of the previous 19 award winners including the likes of David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti and Jenson Button. Alexander is now graduates to the fiercely competitive F3 Euro Series in 2009 with Mucke Motorsport. “It’s a massive honour to win this award and you can’t help but be impressed with the benchmarks set by the previous recipients as they’ve progressed their careers,” stated Alexander. “I’m now looking forward to both next year’s season in the F3 Euro Series and obviously the chance to test the McLaren F1 car in the future. I had a great time at the awards and I love wearing my TW Steel watch, it’ll be an ever present reminder of what was a very special occasion in my life.”
McLaren Autosport BRDC Award Success “Alexander proved by winning the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in December 2008 that he is a highly talented driver and one to watch in the near future. Just look at the list of previous winners - David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Anthony Davidson, Paul Di Resta and so on. Alexander has the potential to emulate their feats - and I, and all at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, therefore wish him well.� Martin Whitmarsh Chief operating Ofiicer, McLaren Group, Team Principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Alex is triumphant in Radical Sports Car Debut Alexander scored an impressive pair of wins on Silverstone’s Grand Prix Circuit at the weekend as he made his sports car debut competing in the Radical European Masters in a works-backed Radical SR8 along with 40 cars on the grid. Alexander who is currently racing full-time in the 2009 Formula 3 Euro Series, grasped his chance to impress in a different discipline in a weekend where he took both his firstever rolling starts and first competitive pit-stops as the series supported the ‘Autosport 1000KM’ – the fifth round of the 2009 Le Mans Series. Alexander heralded his debut with a front-row qualifying slot for Saturday’s 45-minute outing. From second on the grid he took just a handful of laps to grab the lead of the race. An over-cautious pit-stop dropped him down to third as he rejoined the action but again, his outright pace quickly saw him regain the lead setting fastest lap of the race on his way to a maiden victory.
This was a really great experience for me... Alexander grabbed pole position for Sunday’s race meeting but the might of the SR8 Le Mans Radical’s down the straight bumped him to third by the end of the first tour. Undeterred Alexander again highlighted his race credentials and remained in the mix. A more aggressive pit-stop this time round, having learned from the previous day’s outing, saw him take control and soon a 30-second race lead followed. “This was a great experience for me and I’d like to thank Radical for the package they put together,” said Alexander. “I had a lot of fun taking in new challenges such as the rolling starts, pit-stops and of course, managing traffic. It was a successful weekend and really a great opportunity for me to try something new, demonstrate my driving and build good relations with Radical who’re based just a few miles from me!” Alexander returns to the Formula 3 Euro Series, racing for Mücke Motorsport, in Round 8 at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya.
Sponsorship • Association with the world-renowned brands • Association with and use of the Alexander Sims name and fame
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• Brand exposure through live and recorded TV and radio coverage
• Extensive print coverage in national, regional, local and motorsport media
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• Hospitality facilities at race meetings • Participation in conferences and exhibitions • Use of Alexander Sims for advertising and promotional campaigns • Corporate days available • Availability of race car for promotional events • Attendance at team test days • B2B and B2C networking opportunities
public appearances
* Level of exposure related to level of investment
“The confidence that Alexander displayed during his McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver assessment laps at Snetterton was outstanding. No matter what conditions he encountered, or in which car he was assessed, he demonstrated a unique ability to get the best from both his machinery and himself on every lap. Not only does he possess all the vital skills in the cockpit, he also has the intelligence, acumen and charisma to forge a very successful career in motorsport.� Mark Williams, Head of Vehicle Engineering, McLaren Racing
Testimonial - Ian Titchmarsh Having been a judge of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award for 14 years I feel I can say with considerable confidence that Alexander is one of the most outstanding prospects to have emerged from the competition, previous winners of which have included David Coulthard, Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson all of whom went on to become Formula 1 drivers. Alexander was very much the clear cut winner of the Award and made a very strong impression not just on the judges but also the experienced teams which were running the three types of car for the Award test days at Snetterton circuit. Alexander had clearly prepared himself very thoroughly for the test days and his commitment to winning the Award was outstanding. Not only in the different cars but also off the track, during the interview sessions, Alexander presented himself in a thoroughly pleasant, intelligent and professional manner. As a circuit commentator I have seen the majority of Alexander’s races since he moved from karts to Formula Renault cars at the end of 2006 and so have been able to observe at first hand not only his natural speed and commitment but also that he is a racer in the Lewis Hamilton mould, creating overtaking opportunities for himself in a type of racing where there are a number of very quick young drivers and passing is far from easy. I believe that, given the right opportunities and investment, Alexander is one of a very very small number of young British drivers who are capable of meriting a place in Formula 1.
Art Grand Prix History Founded in 1996 and specializing in motor sport, ASM finished in the top 3 as early as its debut in the French Formula 3 championship back in 1997. The team clinched the title one year later and won the Masters of Zandvoort. In 2002 they dominated the discipline in their local challenge and became well known internationally with two victories in the prestigious Grand Prix in Macao and Korea. The following year, the German and French series’ merged their efforts and the F3 Euro Series was born with ASM’s success intensifying as a result. Undefeated in team and driver championships since 2004, the French squad helped some of the greatest new talents to flourish in motorsport. Its success and good technical foundation enabled them to be the backbone of a new structure, ART Grand Prix, with whom they merged during the winter of 2007. Founded in the winter of 2004/2005, the ART Grand Prix team was built on the solid foundations of the ASM F3 team, the two structures being under the same roof and working with the same personnel. After their strong performances and records in French F3 and the F3 Euro Series, the team, based in the French Department of the Yonne, decided to continue its rise in the world of International Motorsports by creating a structure dedicated to the GP2 Championship, a series which replaced F3000 in 2005, as the curtain rose on the European F1 Grand Prix season. ART Grand Prix is the result of the meeting of two men: Frédéric Vasseur and Nicolas Todt, whose complementary abilities guaranteed the best possible management of the team, day in, day out. Frédéric Vasseur is in charge of the
team and the factory on the ground, while Nicolas Todt runs the commercial and marketing side of the organization. The team now employs 40 people. In 2007, an ASM and ART Grand Prix merger was a logical continuation that allowed the two teams, one in the F3 Euro Series and the other in GP2 (Europe and Asia), to profit from working together as one. The new merger reinforces their goals in relation to the nurture of drivers in the world of auto racing. Combining ASM F3 with ART GP solidifies the will of both parties to work together in total harmony. The company is now known under the one name, ART Grand Prix. ART Grand Prix plays a great role in driver training and promotion. As a matter of fact, the team has worked with several drivers who are now at the top of the motorsport world: Lewis Hamilton (F1), Nico Rosberg (F1), Sebastian Vettel (F1), Nico Hülkenberg (F1), Adrian Sutil (F1), Romain Grosjean (F1), Lucas di Grassi (F1), Alexandre Prémat (DTM), Paul Di Resta (DTM and F1), Jamie Green (DTM), Tiago Monteiro (WTCC). ART Grand Prix is involved in 4 international championships: - GP2 Main Series (3 drivers’ titles, 3 teams’ titles) - GP2 Asia Series (1 drivers’ title, 1 teams’ title) - F3 Euro Series (Drivers and teams champions from 2004 to 2009) - GP3 Series
For further details please contact: Stewart Bain T: +44(0)1737 360661 M: +44(0)7899 066974 E: stewart@swbmarketing.com